Four Years Down, Many More to Go: Happy Anniversary, Terra Bella!

Four years ago on April 14, 2017, Planet officially acquired Terra Bella from Google and integrated their stellar team and high-resolution SkySat constellation into our team and business. The agreement between Planet and Google was more than just an acquisition, it was a partnership that included a significant investment in Planet by Google by way of a strategic data deal, where Planet agreed to provide SkySat images back to Google. What a ride it has been since then! At the time of the close, Terra Bella had seven SkySats in-orbit, capturing sub-meter data. After a total of eight launches, there are now 21 SkySats in operation, providing unmatched revisit capabilities across the globe. 

Today, we’re sharing some highlights to celebrate our anniversary, and the incredible work this team has done over the past four years. 

Since the first launch in 2013 all 21 SkySats combined have: 

• Orbited the Earth 367,669 times 
• Traveled 10,017,644,156 (!!!!) miles 
• Spent 2,451,167.11 days on orbit 

Just this past year, our SkySat Mission Operations Team completed: 

• 426,000 images 
• 392 high-resolution videos 
• Two rocket launches with SpaceX that sent six new SkySats to space 
• An altitude lowering campaign to enhance the spatial resolution of our SkySat imagery from 80 cm to 50 cm for our ortho product.

And who doesn’t love to look at stunning satellite imagery? Here are a few captures that have stood out to us over the years: 

Morning sunlight highlights individual livestock near the Lactear Dairy in Córdoba, Argentina. © 2021, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

False-color (near infrared, red, and green) light helps highlight the path of the molten lava at Fagradalsfjall Volcano. © 2021, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Spin Buldak, a town in Afghanistan. © 2018, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Grasberg mine is the largest gold mine and the second-largest copper mine in the world. It is located in the province of Papua in Indonesia near Puncak Jaya, the highest mountain in Indonesia. © 2017, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Oblique view of the Kincade Fire that burned in Sonoma County, California. © 2019, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lithium mine in Salar de Olaroz, Argentina. © 2017, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Oblique view of the Hoover Dam in Nevada. © 2018, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Burrup, Australia. © 2020, Planet Labs Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Four years in, many accomplishments to celebrate, and we’re just getting started. To learn more about our SkySat fleet and how the constellation can provide meaningful insights into your work, click here.